It was status quo at the Orange Belt Conference Swimming and Diving Championships Thursday, as the Celebration boys won their third consecutive team title, while the Harmony Longhorns won the girls’ title for the eighth time in 10 years and the 13th time overall. Celebration won four
Celebration won four indvidual events and two of three relays in rolling up 165 points to out-distance Harmony (129). Osceola (80) was third, Gateway (63) fourth, Tohopekaliga (50) fifth and St. Cloud (23) sixth.
The Storm were paced by seniors Felipe Costa and Roman Sukhorukev, who won three gold medals each. Costa, an all-state performer in the 100 backstroke last year, was dominating in his two individual events, the 200 individual medley in 2:03.75 by more than 14 seconds over second place finisher Delyn McDonald of Gateway and taking his specialty, the 100 back, in54.52 seconds, by more than seven seconds over Harmony’s Bryan Wong. Costa also joined Brandon Cunningham, Greg Kamensky and Sukhorukev in winning the 400 free relay in 3:25.35.
Sukhorukev’s individual races were much closer. He edged Harmony’s Alexander Tanon by just .15 seconds in the 200 freestyle in 1:57.57. His winning time in the 100 breastsroke (1:04.66) was less than a second in front of St. Cloud’s Aydan McNulty.
“Our entire team stepped it up today,” Celebration Head Coach Kelly Walton said. “Our seniors were especially impressive. They have played such a big part in our program and in our three consecutive championships and have provided incredible leadership this season.”
Harmony did not win an individual event but saw its medley relay team of Bryan Wong, Nathan Smith, Tanon and Hunter Boro win. Tanon also took second in the 200 and 500 freestyle and also earned silver on the 400 free relay team to capture four medals overall. Osceola got an
Osceola got an impressive double from Anthony Ambrosi who won the 50 (21.94) and 100 free (49.64).
Other individual winners in boy’s meet were Gateway’s Delyn McDonald in the 100 butterfly (54.90) and Osceola’s Noah Maniace (5:24.11) in the 500 free. St. Cloud’s Silas Corchado (215.90) won the diving competition which was contested Tuesday night.
After Celebration defeated Harmony in a dual meet last month, it was thought the Storm might challenge the Longhorns for the girls’ title, but that never materialized as Harmony (152) easily outdistanced the Storm (129) for the team title. Gateway (94) was third and St. Cloud (83) finished fourth. Osceola (64) and Tohopekaliga (35) took fifth and sixth.
Sarina Steele won four medals total, including gold in the 200 medley relay, the 50 free (25:45) and the 100 free (57.34). She also swam a leg on the second place 200 free relay team. Amelia Wagner took three medals, swimming legs on the 200 medley and 200 free relays, and winning Tuesday’s diving. Hailey Gaspard was the other individual winner for the Longhorns, taking first in the 100 breaststroke (1:17.98).
“Our entire team came together and had a great meet,” Harmony Head Coach T.J. Walters said. “Our team captain Sarina Steele set the tone with two individual wins and everyone else also stepped up. Our depth really made the difference.”
Gateway won three individual events, with Lily Soukup winning four golds, taking the 200-free (2:09.80) and 500 free (5:47.49) and swimming legs of the Panthers’ winning 200 and 400 free relays. Maryam Elfakir won the 200 IM (2:29.15) and swam, along with Selma Elfakir and Momo Sutton — the first Paralympian to win an OBC medal — on the relays.
Osceola’s Abigail Maniace was the other swimmer to win an individual event on the girls’ side as she won the 100 fly (1:01.27) and 100 back (1:03.42).
Depending on assignments, district meets for county schools will be held between Oct. 25-28; with regional meets Nov. 1-4.
“As always, we are going into districts with one goal – swim our best times of the year and if in the course of doing that we happen to get a medal or advance in the state series that’s awesome but our goal is to do our best,” Walton said.
